Puncture-closer.



No. 873,337. PATENTED DEC. 10, 1907.

D. APSTEIN. PUNOTURE CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14. 1907.

W/TNESSES I IIIVVE/VZO H 1 from/Er UFIQE. f

DAVID APSTEIN, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

PUNCTURE-CLOSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, L907.

Application filed February 14. 1907. Serial No. 357.300.

secured in place after insertion by a nut upon the shank. 1

' The invention consists furthermore in special details of construction which will be hereinafter described and then specifically pointed out in the claims hereunto appended] In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a view on an enlarged scale, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing a hinged closer in full lines in its'operative or closing position and in dotted lines in its inserting position;

i Fig. 2 a section of the shank on the line 2-2 in'Fig. 1 looking down; Fig. 3 an inverted plan view of the closer; Fig. 4 an inverted plan view of the shank and head detached;

ig. 5 anelevation of the shank with the head in'section Fig. 6 a view illustrating a variant form in which a hingeless flexible closer is rotatably attached to a threaded shank; and

Fig. 7 is a section of the nut in lan. p

. In t e form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 in.

shank showing the elusive the closer is hinged to the shank in such a manner as to permit the closer to swin inthe vertical plane, in addition to whic the shank may be rotated in the horizontal plane independently of the closer.

10 denotes the 'closer'proper. This closer comprises a body 11, which is blanked out and formed from sheet metal, and a pad 12 of rubber into which the body is molded. The general shape of the body in plan is an elongated oval narrowed at the ends. At the center of the body I form a transverse socket'13, and on opposite sides of the socket I form'central longitudinal grooves 14, deepest at their inner ends, which extend from the socket and run out toward the ends of.

the body.

15 (;l6I10t6S"the shank which is threaded and is provided with'a rounded head 16, up-

set thereon, and 21 a nut upon the shank, preferably elongated to correspond in shape with the body of the closer and )added. The edge of the blank from which t e body is formed is curved over inward,- leaving, however, a longitudinal slot 17 in the upper side thereof which receives the shank when the closer is swung to the inserting position, as will be more fully explained. 18 denotes an elongated cap formed from sheetmetal which incl'oses the head of the shank. This cap is made to just fit in transversesocket.

13, the socket and cap being so shapedas to leave the cap free to oscillate in the socket but to retain it against other movement. The sides oi the top of the body, which I have specifically indicated by 19, are closed over the ends of the cap as clearly shown in Fig. 2, thereby securely retainingit in place but leaving it. free to be oscillated from side to side. The cap is formed from a blank of sheet metal having a hole 20 at the center through which. the shank passes loosely. The edge of the. blank is then closed over the head "of the shank to form the cap, as will be clearly understood from Figs. 4 and 5. The cap f its the head closely so as to have no movement thereon other than rotary moveof the shank and cap independently. It will be noted'in Fig.1 that the edge of the pad ism'ade relatively thin so as to be perfectly flexible, and that it extends outward from the body all around. This is in orderfto insure a perfectly close fit when the closer is; drawn tightly against the inner wall oi'gthe' tire and the tire is clamped between the closer and the nut. In manufacturi-n r the bodies, the sides of the top "are not close down as shown in; the drawing, but are left raised and longitudinal slot 17 is left open sufficiently to permit the cap to be passed through the slot and then'turned and placed in the socket after which the sides or the body are closed ,down upon the cap so as to retain it'securelyinplace but leave it free to oscillate from side to side, as in Fig. 1 This oscillation of the body upon the shank is for the purpose of convenience in insertion. In the inserting position, the closer is swung almost into alinement with the shank,'.th'e shank in the inserting position lying in slot 17 and in one of the longitudinal grooves '14, either of said grooves being adapted to re:

'ceive it, as indicated by dotted lines-in Fig.-

1. The nut 21 may be of any suitable character. I preferably,- however, use apadded 1 Fig. 1.

nut," for example, of the character illustrated in Fig. 6, in which the nut is shown as comprising a-metal plate, indicated by 25, the operative face and edge of which are molded into a block of rubber, indicated by 26. By

using a padded nut with the flexible closer I wear upon the outer face of a tire is prevented, and the" walls of the tire being gripped between two correspondingly shaped flexible surfaces, the possibility of leakage is' pre vented.

In use, the puneture to be closed is en- ;larged if necessary sufficiently to permit the. closer to he forced through when swung to the inserting position, as in dotted lines in When inserting the closer, the edges of the pad at the sides may be folded over the top oftthe body so that the closer may be j foreed'through a'relatively small opening.

closing position, that is, at right angles to .the shank, as'in full lines in Fig. l. is. then turned down o'n'the shank until it' en- The nut gages the outerface of the tire, after which the nut is held and the shank isrotated, the

headturning in the cap, and the closer upon the inner side ofthe tire remaining stationary until the walls of the tire are tightly gripped betweenthe nut and the. closer. The outer endofthe shank may be curved and re-eurved, as shown in the drawing, to. form a haiid piece for convenience in manipulation. After the nut has been set to place, the shank is broken or cut ofi flush with the outer surface of the nut.

In the form-illustrated in Fig. 6, instead of a hinged closer as in the other form, I use a-eloser consisting of asolid block of rubber indicated by 23 suitably shaped to permit it form the cap,' .which is specifically indicated to be foreedthrough 'a puncture. In this by 24, maybe round or elongated as preferred. It..is,formed lbosely upon head 15 asbefore, patches 27 of flexible material being pl'aeed on opposite sides thereof and cepatches 1; A device of the character described comprising a threaded shank having a head ormeduthereon, a sheet metal cap formed through which the shank is passed, the disk being then closed loosely over the head and a flexible closer secured to the cap.

2. A device of the character described comprising a threaded shank having a head formed thereon, a sheet metal cap formed. from a disk of metal having a central hole through which the shank is passed, the disk swings in the vertical plane, and a flexible pad into which the body is molded.

:4. A device of the character described comprising a threaded shank having a head formed thereon, an elongatedsheet metal cap formed upon the head in. which the shank and head are rotatable and a flexible closer consisting of a sheet metal body having a transverse socket to receive the cap, grooves leading therefrom deepest at the inner end and a longitudinal slot in the upper side thereof, said slot and said groove being adapted to receive the shank in the inserting position, and a flexible pad into which the body is molded. I

5, In. a device of the character described, the combination with a threaded shank havinga head formed thereon and an elongated cap swiveled on the head, of an elongated flexible closer consisting of a sheet metal body and a pad of rubber in which the body is molded, said body being provided with a transverse socket to receive the cap, longitudinal grooves leading from the socket and deepest at the inner end and a slot in the upper side thereof, said slot and grooves being adapted to receive the shank in the inserting position.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with a threaded shank 11 aving a head formed thereon, of an elongated flexible closer hinged and swiveled to the head and an elongated nut on the shank.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence'of two witnesses.

. DAVID APSTEIN. I Witnesses:

A. M. WOOSTER, S. W. Arnsnrom from a disk of metal having a central hole I 

